Florida Pearl and Davenport Milenium captured the Grade One races in style for the Willie Mullins stable on the second day of the Punchestown Festival. The former inched closer to the one million euro mark for prize money when recording his 14th career success in the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup.
Victorious on the 13-8 favourite on its previous outing at Aintree, jockey Barry Geraghty got Florida Pearl back on an even keel quickly after a mistake four out when he had just taken the lead. However, Florida Pearl maintained a relentless gallop to prevail by three lengths from Native Upmanship with the winner's stablemate Alexander Banquet 12 lengths further away in third.
Mapping out Florida Pearl's programme for next season Mullins said: "The plan for next season is more or less the same with Florida Pearl as this year, though we may not bring him back until the Durkan Chase here in early December before we go to Kempton again for the King George. Then we might miss out on the Hennessy at Leopardstown before going for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup and back to Aintree once more.
There was no doubt about the superiority of Davenport Milenium as he ended the unbeaten record of the favourite Like-A-Butterfly in the Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle. Like-A-Butterfly flattered briefly when taking over at the second last, but Davenport Milenium was quickly on her outer and going the better turning into the home straight. Ruby Walsh sent the second favourite eight lengths clear of Thari at the finish with Like-A-Butterfly another length adrift in third.
"The plan next season is for Davenport Milenium to go novice chasing. He probably is not quick enough for a Champion Hurdle and I think he has sufficient scope to jump fences, but we could always go back hurdling if we didn't think he was going to make it as a chaser," Mullins said.
Filed by Laura Reynolds
